Author's Note: For those of you who are fans of other anime/manga series coughInuyashacough, the biting in this chapter does not represent claim marks/ soul mate bonds/ obscure youkai mating ceremonies. The behavior of both boys actually reflects the mating behavior of both of their respective spirit forms. I highly recommend reading the mating habits of wild rats if you get a chance- it's a great bedtime read :)

Oh and… More 'Butterfly' pictures! Again by the lovely Onigiri Kitty.

http:www. livejournal. com/ users/ anaphalis/ 2194. html

There is also a sex scene cut this chapter, with links included in the cut-scene to the full version and a summary for those who don't want to read it.

Quick Vocabulary:

Gaijin: "outside person", foreigner, generally used in reference to Caucasian foreigners

Chapter Summary: And you thought that having an evil Butterfly in your head was invasive….

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket belongs to Natsuki Takaya/HAKUSENSHA - TV TOKYO - NAS - Fruba Project. Butterfly is mine. "Blood in the Saddle" is a traditional American folk song.

Warning: Rated R for language, implied rape, torture, and adult situations. This chapter- sexual situations. Sexual situations are suggestive rather than graphic, but if for some reason you feel that they are too graphic for FFNet- please e-mail me and let me know and I will edit the scene.

Chapter 19: Close Your Eyes

Into this night I wander,
It's morning that I dread,
Another day of no way but
The path I fear to tread,
Oh into the sea of waking dreams
I follow without pride,
Nothing stands between us here
And I won't be denied,

And I would be the one
To hold you down,
Kiss you so hard,
I'll take your breath away
And after I'd wipe away the tears,
Just close your eyes dear

-Sarah McLachlan, "Possession"

As Tohru opens her eyes she can feel Hatori in the back of her mind, his emotions making a not-unpleasant background hum. It is a little like swimming up and breaking the surface of the water after a dive- suddenly colors are brighter and sharper and the worried voices of the boys are almost unbearably loud.

The other thing that Tohru immediately notices is that her body feels almost completely healed.

'How do you do so much at the same time?'

What can I say? I'm great at multi-tasking!

"Tohru… Tohru! Are you all right?"

"Damn it Hatori, if you've hurt her…."

Tohru groggily raises her head- Hatori's cheek is still pressed against her feet although his eyes are starting to flutter open.

"I'm fine. Hatori didn't hurt me."

Kyou pulls her closer to his chest. Tohru idly notes that his shirt is completely soaked in her blood. "You didn't seem to be breathing or responding for nearly two minutes- we were getting worried!"

'Two minutes!'

I'm also time efficient. Basically, I'm perfect in every way and you don't need to worry your pretty little head about it.

Tohru would have argued further, but Hatori is starting to stir and lift himself up. He almost immediately looks over to Tohru, placing a light hand on her feet.

"Thank-you, for… Just thank-you."

The boys start the questions almost immediately.

"What do you think you were doing?"

Hatori stretches and Tohru catches a strange sense of peace visible in the white in his aura, in the calm buzz in the back of her mind.

"Safeguarding my loyalties. It is now that much harder for Akito to try and track me or call me back again."

There is a brief silence while the boys seem to think over the implications of his words. Kyou is the first to realize the problem.

"It's all very well for you to want to stay here or just permanently leave the compound, but won't they have people looking for you? Aren't they keeping track of you somehow?"

"My next check-in was scheduled for later this week. Obviously I won't be keeping it, but that shouldn't be a problem."

"If you don't contact her or come back, Akito's going to be here within a few days, dragon! So how the hell is that not going to be a problem?"

"I erased Ritsu's memories of the article before I left. None of the other Jyuunishi in the compound saw the article and none of the household servants knew Tohru well enough to identify her if they did. I am also fairly sure that I destroyed all of Tohru's photos that remained in the Honke, which should make it that much harder for Akito to track."

Tohru stares at Hatori in complete shock. From the long silence, she suspects that the boys are doing the same.

"You really didn't intend to go back, did you?"

Hatori's aura is carefully white. "I would have to have been a much bigger fool than I am to believe that Akito wouldn't have tried to track down Tohru anyways."

Kyou stares at Hatori with a combination of shock and… something else. "When you rebel, you really go all out eh, dragon? Erasing a family member's memories without orders, lying to family, making plans to run away, bonding a new god…. Since you seem to be trying to protect Tohru I guess we should forgive you…. But damn! Remind me to never get on your bad side!"

"Tohru should never have been involved. This should have stayed within the family." Tohru would have been offended but the deep purples and blues swirling around Hatori and the buzzing pain in her mind seem to imply that it's not just her that he's thinking about.

"Tohru has been involved from the moment she moved in with us, Hatori. To pretend otherwise is foolish. She is far stronger and braver than most of us- I think that she is capable of making that choice."

Yuki could hardly have said anything that would have made Tohru happier or more likely to agree to his next question without really listening.

"Tohru- Rat says that he knows how to make another type of bond, a full bond. Would you be willing to bond with me?"

Tohru nods, still basking in the warmth of his compliment.

Hold up there, sweetheart! I think you better ask what this bond involves before you do anything!

"What does the bond involve? I mean why would you want another type of god bond with me?"

Obviously Butterfly has the right idea. Yuki refuses to meet her eyes when he answers.

"It's… not exactly a god bond. More of a joining of minds using your god stuff, really. And a joining of lives."

For once, Tohru instantly understands.

"So we'd be able to feel each other almost completely? Oh gods… if I died, you'd die too, wouldn't you?"

Yuki finally meets her eyes and Tohru is shocked by the determination in them, the red and gold vibrating around him.

"Tohru, there's no point in lying. If you die, I die. I had suspected this before, but after what happened… I know now. Whether or not we bond isn't going to change that. All I want is the chance to be able to help you if something does happen, no matter what that is. And… I want to show all of me, to give all of me."

Kyou presses a kiss to the top of her head. "Cat says he doesn't know how to do this, but if he watches you bond with Yuki he'll be able to tell. I want this as well."

Tohru feels like she is being overwhelmed again.

"What about Shinta? What if you suddenly decide that you don't want this? This sounds very not-breakable."

Neither of the boys speak, but their auras are answer enough. Tohru feels slightly sick as she turns her head towards the silent Hatori.

"Hatori- if something does happen to us… will you be guardian to Shinta?"

Hatori twitches and blinks, obviously a little shocked by the proposal, but he recovers quickly.

"I will."

The boys both smile and start helping Tohru up. Tohru suspects that they aren't taking this seriously enough, but she doesn't know what to do to stop them. All she can do is try to create the best situation for all of them.

"Before we do anything- Please understand that I heard you that day when you talked about the common bond."

Both boys freeze in place.

"You heard what Shigure said?"

"No. But I don't need to know. I don't want to know. We can't go back now, not if you and Shinta will possibly be hurt."

It hurts to say this, to deny the other Sohmas a chance without even knowing what the chance is, but Tohru chose her loyalties a long time ago.

"I don't care about the solution, but if we're going to be bonded, please don't treat me like I'm going to break. Can we be partners? I know I'm not as smart as you or as talented-"

"Darling- you're obviously brighter than both of us. It- it hurts to see you hurt. I can't promise that I won't try to protect you, but I will try to treat you fairly."

Kyou nods in agreement.

I think that's the best compromise that you're going to get out of the he-men.

"I will do this then. Let's do this in the bedroom. please. The living room is very messy right now."

There was blood on the table and blo-od on the ground…Great big puddles of bloooood all around!

'You know what?… I just don't want to know.'

Damn… Are you sure? I've got more verses.

'I've had enough torture for one day, thanks.'

As they walk, Hatori suddenly jerks to a stop.

"Did one of you two listen to me talking to Shigure?"

Busted.

Yuki turns and evenly meets his gaze.

"I did."

Hatori frowns then shrugs. "I guess it doesn't matter now. I doubt that the solution would have been that simple anyways."

Fortunately for Tohru's peace of mind, the topic is dropped but there is no other conversation to make her forget her rising nervousness.

Once in the bedroom, Tohru tries to ignore her increasing fear as she moves towards the bed. After all, she barely survived her first bonding experience.

Yuki seems to see something in her eyes because he clasps her hand in his and leans in to whisper in her ear.

"I love you, Tohru. No Akito here. Only us."

The memory grounds Tohru, not removing her fear, but making it much less important.

"Only us."

She follows him to the bed, watching him settle down, his head propped on his hand.

Tohru lies down facing Yuki, his arms reaching out to wrap loosely around her waist. It is a little awkward staring into his eyes and Tohru feels a little like they have suddenly returned to the time of their first kiss. Then Yuki leans forward to gently kiss her lips and the world fades away.

This is nothing like the experience with Hatori.

No individual images. Tohru is washed over with Yuki's emotions: his fears, his loves, his passions. She can feel the bonds being made between them, can feel his hopes become hers, taste his fears in the back of her throat. Part of her is terrified of being this immersed in another person, of this overwhelming connection and she can feel herself trying to shield her own mind from a similar raw exposure.

So she lets go.

For one brief moment, Tohru is Yuki, if she just reaches a little further, pushes a little harder she will be able to understand-

There is a wrenching pain and Tohru is no longer in her mind, but being pinned on the bed, watching Hatori hold down a struggling Yuki.

At least, Tohru thinks that it is Yuki.

His eyes are completely black and his hair is… brown? And are those… fangs sticking out when he snarls at Hatori?

The snarl makes something pull in Tohru and she lurches forward, her body screaming for her to get back to her mating partner.

"Not until you get yourselves under control."

Kyou's words tickle the fine hairs on her neck, sending a white flash of heat through her body and pain through her neck and shoulders. Tohru lifts a shaking hand to her collarbone.

Her fingers come back dripping blood.

Almost at once, Tohru can feel the series of bites that ring her neck and upper back- some shallow and some deep enough to leave scars.

Well that's one way to say, "I love you". Personally I think he should have stuck with flowers.

The sight of blood on Tohru's hand stills the struggling Yuki. He starts shaking in Hatori's hold, letting out a low moan as he closes his eyes and his hair reverts to gray. When he opens his eyes again the irises are violet.

"Tohru…."

And she can feel him in her head, like a second heart beat. Hatori's connection is nothing to this almost overwhelming pull in the back of her mind. Tohru folds in on herself, collapsing backwards into Kyou's embrace.

Hatori looks up at her and Tohru realizes that he must be feeling at least a little of her mental distress.

"Don't worry- the intensity will fade in a few hours once your mind adjusts. The initial joining is the hardest part."

Some part of Tohru dimly wonders how he would know something like that, but the larger part of her is too overwhelmed to care.

Yuki looks almost as dazed as she feels as Hatori helps him to his feet and practically carries him out of the room, shutting the door behind them.

As soon as the door clicks, Tohru half-turns in Kyou's embrace.

"Kyou- what happened?"

Kyou tightens his hold around her and, to Tohru's surprise, a faint pink blush is rising up his cheeks.

"At first, it just looked like what happened when Hatori bonded to you. Then nezumi was on your back… grinding against you. We probably still would have left it, but then he started biting and Cat said that the bond was complete and it wouldn't hurt either of you to be pulled apart and, well…."

Tohru feels inexplicably disappointed.

"I guess this means that you don't want the bond anymore, do you?"

Kyou's blush deepens.

"Actually I was hoping if you didn't hurt too much that we could make the bond right now. Cat says that he knows what to do now."

Nice to know that he's concerned about your pain.

Something of Butterfly's judgment must have shown in Tohru's eyes, because Kyou gently kisses the top of her head, raising one hand to stroke her cheek.

"I-I don't want to hurt you anymore, but Cat says that it will actually be easier this way, that in the long run it will hurt less than if we wait."

Tohru is sore and really wants nothing more than a long, hot bath, but she'd rather not have to make the bond later on.

"Let's do this then."

Kyou mirrors Yuki's initial position, reaching out to brush Tohru's bangs out of her eyes. His kiss lingers on her lips as she falls into the connection.

This time she doesn't bother to hold back.

This time she is hit with a single image.

It isn't like one of Hatori's memories or the blurry fog in Yuki's mind- this image is clear, well-defined and not moving, providing background while Kyou's emotions make their way into her mind.

The image is a bloodied woman in a bathtub. The face is Tohru's.

'Oh Kyou….'

Rather than just letting the emotions overtake her as happened with Yuki, Tohru pushes out, pushing her love, her concern out towards him while accepting his in return. This time the bond forms cleanly- there is no dizzy high of supreme understanding, but Tohru also comes out of her mind feeling almost normal.

That is she feels normal until she sees Kyou.

He is lying on the bed facing her, his eyes unusually dark.

"Go stand away from the bed."

Puzzled, Tohru gets off the bed and faces Kyou as he rises and walks behind her.

His breath is hot on the shell of her ear.

"On your knees."

Tohru feels like someone has sent a jolt of fire through her veins. She quickly gets on all fours, ignoring the fine tremors in her arms and legs. She arches backwards and bites back a moan when Kyou strokes over her breasts and stomach.

"Good girl."

There is no more talking.

-Scene Cut-

This scene contained plot-important smut. It wasn't particularly graphic, but I'm not taking any chances. For those who would still like to see the scene- the uncut version is available at Mediaminer. Just a warning though- Mediaminer hates my formatting so don't mind the random italics- I can't figure out how to fix them. Here's the link:

www. mediaminer. org/ fanfic/ viewch. php/ 78079/ 297225/

Or

Look up "Anaphalis" under "Fruits Basket" on Mediaminer and go to the story that way.

For those who don't want to read the scene, here's a brief summary:

Tohru and Kyou are having sex. Yuki is drawn into the room by the arousal he feels through his connection with Tohru. All three of them are overwhelmed by the positive feedback of arousal through the new connections.

-End Scene Cut-

I want a threesome Tohru, but not like this.

And suddenly her head is clear. Butterfly has somehow muted the boys' emotions in her mind.

Looking into Yuki's eyes, Tohru understands. Somehow over the years hatred has evolved to dislike has evolved to grudging respect, mutual admiration and maybe even a tentative friendship. Tohru can now see the boys' emotions with a strange detachment that prevents them from affecting her. Although some deep part of the boys may be curious about a threesome, the larger part of them doesn't want it and sex with one another would destroy whatever tentative bonds they have formed.

Gently, slowly Tohru pulls away from Kyou and Yuki, watching their faces as their own minds struggle to reassert control.

They both move towards her almost simultaneously, Kyou laying his head on her lap while Yuki leans into her shoulder.

"Thank you."

Tohru is not sure who said it, but it doesn't really matter. Although all three of them are still a little shaken she can feel the relief that they all know now. But there is something that she still has to do while they all calm themselves down.

'Butterfly- I don't want to let things get this out of control. How can I prevent this?'

I will modulate the bond, Tohru. You'll be able to feel their emotions, but it will only be really strong if they're hurt or in distress.

'Thank-you.'

With any luck those idiots inhabiting their bodies will do the same and stop trying to piss in each other's sandbox.

'Was that really all Cat and Rat?'

Well sweetie, when was the last time either of the boys laid on the BSDM?

'Well… there was that White Day…'

Yeah… that was fun-

"Oh shit."

Tohru jerks out of her conversation bringing her gaze to the door.

Well, I guess that proves that Ha-san does know the bad words. I think I won the betting pool.

Tohru is momentarily puzzled before she realizes what the scene must look like. She and Kyou are both naked, Yuki's topless, Kyou has her blood on his lips and, if the stains on the floor are any indication, she's still bleeding.

While Hatori's expression is getting darker and darker, Butterfly pipes up again.

Dragon must be less involved in the dick comparison than the other two.

'What do you mean?'

He obviously reduced the effect of the bond or dragon-boy would have been part of this dog-pile. He's shocked enough that he couldn't have really felt it.

"You assholes."

In one dizzy motion Hatori has pulled Tohru away from the boys and is blotting at her neck with something that Tohru suspects might be a piece of his shirt.

"Thank gods that none of them are deep or bleeding heavily. These need to be washed and sterilized before they become infected."

The boys seem to have finally broken out of their stupor. Neither of them seems happy with Hatori.

"Let go of her, Hatori."

"I don't know what you were doing, but Tohru's exhausted and injured and I'm not letting her near either of you two until you prove that you can control the bonds and those monsters in your heads."

"We certainly didn't mean to hurt Tohru, but you will not touch her anymore-"

"ENOUGH!"

Tohru is a little surprised to discover that the loud yell came from her.

"I am going to clean up. I am tired. I hurt. I have had the day from hell. I am not mad at any of you- what happened wasn't any of your faults- but all I want to do right now is take a bath and go to bed. If you can stop comparing dicks long enough to act your age, I would be happy to have you join me. Otherwise go away and let me sleep."

Sweetie, if I had a body I'd totally do you.

'Could you use some of that energy to get me to the bathroom without falling over?'

As you wish.

And Tohru exits the room, legs a little shaky, but head high and back straight. The bath is difficult because she is even more tired than she thought- she barely makes it back to her room without collapsing. The men are still sitting there looking shell-shocked when she returns.

If I'd known that all it took to stop the fighting was to have you be crude….

Tohru is too tired to appreciate Butterfly's snark as she crawls under the covers- her only thought is that she is thankful that she had just fed Shinta before the whole mess started. Then the world fades as her head hits the pillow.

-

Tohru is fairly sure that she is seeing double- no triple, when she opens her eyes. She can think of no other explanation why there would be not one, but three apologetic faces staring at her first thing in the morning. She reflexively moves back towards the wall and one of the slightly blurry faces 'Yuki' holds Shinta out like a sacrificial offering.

Tohru doesn't say anything when she takes Shinta from him- some newly discovered vindictive part of herself is enjoying the uncomfortable silence as she starts to nurse.

After all, they really were behaving like asses yesterday.

As much as I hate to defend idiots, you have to realize that a) they all thought that you were going to die and b) they were pretty overwhelmed by the guys in their heads. I mean, just think of how wonderfully powerful I am!

Tohru is obviously not very good at this vindictive thing because she almost immediately starts to feel guilty.

"I hate it when you fight."

Kyou sits down beside her on the bed and runs his fingers through her hair.

"Yesterday was a bad day for all of us. We talked it over and we'll try to be mature about this while we get used to… everything. This is all a lot to understand."

Tohru can't help smiling.

"It's okay- I think that everything will work out. Just… please talk if you're upset or unhappy."

Hatori moves to sit at the foot of the bed.

"My behavior was… completely inappropriate. I appreciate your forgiveness, but I forced you into several situations that you should never have been in-"

Yuki cuts in with an unusually evil grin. "-And to beat himself up as punishment, dragon cleaned up all of the mess and made breakfast. If you keep him feeling guilty we might be able to keep him as a maid."

Tohru tries very, very hard to block the image of Hatori in a short skirt and an apron that Butterfly is flashing. She somehow keeps a straight face as she replies.

"That's okay. I like doing housework. And Hatori- there really isn't anything to forgive. We all made mistakes yesterday I think."

Hatori is obviously uncomfortable with the conversation as he quickly changes the topic. "Maybe after we've had breakfast, I could try transforming. I suspect that my form may be a little different now."

Although Tohru can feel the boys' confusion, she doesn't choose to explain. What happened in Hatori's mind is private.

"That sounds like a good idea."

Breakfast is a relatively quiet affair- everyone seems to be thinking over what has happened. Tohru is almost relieved when Yuki and Kyou volunteer to play with Shinta and put him to bed while she and Hatori clean up.

They clear the table in silence. They wash the dishes in silence. They put the dishes away in silence. By the time they move out onto the porch to wait for the boys, Tohru is ready to scream in frustration. Instead, she sits down on the steps beside Hatori and asks the first question that pops into her head.

"How do you know so much about bonds, Hatori?"

Hatori stares out into the yard for so long that Tohru wonders if he actually heard her.

"My father was the Sohma god before Akito. He died when I was very young, but before he died he forged a partial bond with me, beyond the Jyuunishi bond, to help me control my abilities."

Tohru swallows and gently lays a hand on Hatori's arm. "I'm sorry…. I-I didn't mean to bring up painful memories."

Hatori flashes a rare gentle smile.

"It's not painful. My father was a harsh man, but he was always very fair. I have good memories of him."

The sound of the front door closing makes Tohru jump slightly. She jumps again when Kyou puts his hand on her shoulder and sits down beside her.

"Well let's see this transformation. I even brought a glass of water to keep you until you change back."

So much for the tender bonding moment.

Hatori gets up and walks around the corner of the house, re-emerging a few minutes later.

Apparently the dragon was telling the truth.

Tohru can dimly hear the boys' exclamations of surprise and shock, but Hatori is the only thing that she can concentrate on.

The dragon form's not huge- only slightly larger than Hatori's human form, but he radiates power and… shininess.

The shiny is almost hypnotizing. Somehow Tohru finds herself drawn over to the dragon.

And running her hands up and down his back and over the ridge on his forehead.

"Oooh… He's so pretty!"

Hatori gives a rather loud snort of indignation.

Yuki's eyes twinkle as he speaks through his ill-concealed laughter.

"Should we be jealous?"

"He's just so smooth and shiny!"

Apparently this is not a good attempt at self-defense. Kyou falls over laughing, while Yuki walks over to Tohru and pats her on the head.

"Okay, Tohru, let's leave the nice dragon alone now."

Tohru pouts as Yuki easily picks her up, twirling her away from Hatori, She meets his eyes as her lip starts to twitch and they both burst out laughing, spinning round and round in circles.

Kyou snags her after about the fifth circle and starts spinning her in the opposite direction. When he finally stops, he has to hold Tohru up to keep her from falling. When she sticks out her tongue at him, he swings her into a bridal hold and lets Yuki tickle her unmercifully.

The past two days have been utter hell. Tohru's now permanently bonded to three complicated and confusing men and she has a newborn son and a restaurant to run.

She is dizzy, tired and utterly confused and overwhelmed.

Tohru couldn't be happier.

-

Hatori's efforts to conceal their location seem to be effective, because there is no contact from the other Sohmas in the months that follow.

Tohru is extremely grateful for that first tiny sign of luck, because adjusting to her new family is taking all of her efforts. The four men in her life all seem to need her in ways that often exhaust her, although the strength of her love for each of them never ceases to amaze and frighten her.

Tohru is lucky though. Although the boys still have to work, they both are throwing themselves wholeheartedly into becoming parents, in their slightly different ways.

Yuki likes to hold her when she breast-feeds Shinta, cradling them both against his chest. Sometimes, despite Shinta's tendency to greedily bite, Tohru will even fall asleep and wake up in bed with Yuki staring at her, a sort of awe and throbbing passion, devotion visible in his eyes, in the tug in her mind.

Kyou likes to play. He spends hours waving toys and making faces at Shinta, tickling Tohru and chasing her and Shinta, flying Shinta through the air while making strange noises in the back of his throat. Tohru would be concerned, but he is always so careful and even when Shinta is cranky and crying, Kyou never fails to make him laugh. And after they are all sweaty and laughing and exhausted he'll help her put Shinta to bed and just lie there and –hold- her, his love so fierce in her mind that it almost hurts.

There are some differences in the way the boys treat her though. Although 'the idiots' in the boys' heads have obviously decided to modulate the bonds' effect, the boys' behavior is a little… different since the joinings.

Kyou rubs his cheek against her regularly, purring when she ruffles his hair or strokes his face. He often comes up behind her when she is cooking, pressing his chin over the top of her head while lightly but insistently pressing against her. Yuki gives light nips and kisses to the back of her neck, runs his hands through her hair and generally seems to take any excuse to touch her.

In fact, touch has become far more frequent for both Kyou and Yuki since the bonds were established. Kyou works strictly from wherever Tohru is working and Yuki has even started cutting his days at the office short because he starts getting shaky if he is away from Tohru too long. This was discovered the hard way when they had to drive Yuki back one evening because he stayed late at work and discovered that he was shaking too badly to drive. The shaking only stopped when Tohru touched him.

This scares Tohru.

But the bonds are truly permanent, and she tries to push the vague fears of 'What would happen if we were separated?' and 'What happens if I accidentally hurt them with this control?' to the back of her mind.

The sex is also frightening, in a slightly different way.

Even though the boys can no longer feel when Tohru is having sex with the other one, the sex still has more of an… edge. Knowing how the other person feels is overwhelming and intense, even though Tohru enjoys the passion. Maybe because of this intensity the boys have insisted on returning to having one night a week alone with her, despite still getting together at other times. Hatori doesn't scream anymore, but neither he nor the boy who isn't with her are able to sleep on those nights.

Hatori….

Maybe the bonds have somehow connected the boys. Maybe living together away from the family for nearly six years has made them learn how to interact with one another without killing each other. Maybe the tentative friendship between them has always been there and it just took Tohru's accident to really open their eyes to it. Whatever the case, Tohru can taste their joint hostility every time Hatori is in the room.

Oh the men seem to have taken her words to heart and are working to get along with each other. That doesn't mean that Yuki and Kyou don't hold Tohru tighter, kiss her harder and more often, cradle Shinta possessively, when Hatori is there to see it. She wants to ask them about it, but she's not entirely sure that they know that they're doing it, that they have joined forces against the intruder into their family.

In spite of the boys' problems, Tohru doesn't know what she would have done without Hatori in the time since Shinta's birth. The boys are both working fairly hard, even though Kyou works wherever she is staying. Hatori has mentioned opening a small clinic, but says that he needs to make sure that he won't be discovered first. In the meantime, he has stepped in to help her with the household and Shinta, even to the extent of babysitting when she needs to go into the restaurant for a few hours.

Hatori even dug into his own account to help purchase a second vehicle so Tohru could work the short, odd hours that allow her to spend time with Shinta. What makes it even better is that Shinta seems to be fascinated with his 'uncle'- especially in his dragon form. His new clumsy crawling is often in the direction of the shiny dragon.

It is now Shinta that is causing most of Tohru's worries.

Although Tohru has gone back to the restaurant many times since Shinta's birth, neither Shinta nor Hatori have really gone out in public. It is one thing to know that she herself will change forms when in contact with the opposite sex. It is another thing to suspect that it might happen to her eight and a half month old son.

Maybe she is too obvious about the looks she gives Shinta, because Hatori finally confronts her.

"You need to see if Shinta has a cursed form."

Tohru nearly drops Shinta in the sudden throb of pain that goes through her heart.

"You talk a lot about those two women at your restaurant. Your chef sounds trustworthy enough to hold him for a few seconds. Why don't you bring Shinta by late in the evening, when there are very few staff and fewer customers? I'll come with you and take care of any… problems."

Tohru is forced to agree, because, really, he is right and it is better to know now.

That doesn't stop the feeling of dread as she gets into the car with Hatori and Shinta.

Tohru needs to think of something, anything other than the upcoming visit. It suddenly occurs to her that there is at least one Jyuunishi she hasn't heard about.

"How is Kureno doing?"

Well that's a great conversation opener.

Tohru can feel the pity and sorrow like a stab in the back of her head. "After hearing your story that day, how he is now makes sense."

"And how is he?"

"He's alive."

When he doesn't say anything else, Tohru doesn't press and they pass the rest of the drive in silence.

Tohru suspects that the silence, other than the noise from an unusually fidgety Shinta, will last until they meet Maki. When they get out of the car though, Hatori places his hand on her arm.

"Breathe, Tohru. No matter what happens, I'll be there with you and I'll take care of any problems. Your nervousness is making Shinta unhappy and it won't solve anything."

The words are harsh, but Tohru can feel the honesty and the concern. She forces herself to take deeper breaths and focus on calming herself down.

Unfortunately taking calming breaths interferes with Tohru's ability to walk properly. As they turn round the side of the building, Tohru nearly trips over her general manager taking a long drag on her smoke. Hatori steadies Tohru and the slightly whiny Shinta as Akane blows out a long stream of smoke.

Tohru finds herself babbling without a lot of thought to what she is saying.

"I'm sorry Akane-chan, I really didn't see you! Would you like to come in and meet Shinta and my old friend, Hatori-san?"

Akane's eyes narrow for a moment before she reluctantly puts out her cigarette and walks them inside. Once they reach the back rooms, she turns to Hatori.

"So you were legit."

Maki walks out of the kitchen towards them, her face set in a smug smile.

"Pay up. I won fair and square. Oh- and you can't collect his balls as paperweights now either."

'Um…. I guess I should be flattered that they're so loyal, shouldn't I?"

Sweetie, I think you should hope that most people don't use their definition of "justifiable homicide".

Tohru shakes her head and decides to get on with things before any of her companions try to kill each other. Unfortunately, nothing goes quite the way Tohru had planned.

Maki absolutely refuses to hold Shinta.

"Babies cry. And smell. I refuse to have anything to do with them until they're housebroken. And able to talk."

Before Tohru can respond, Akane bursts into cooing noises and snatches up Shinta while directing a black glare at Maki.

Nothing happens.

Maki raises an eyebrow, as Tohru stares, shell-shocked. She barely hears the developing argument between Maki and Akane as she collapses back against Hatori's chest.

Well fuck me. What the hell just happened here?

"You do know that he's a boy, right?"

Akane increases her glare. "It's not his fault that he's going to grow up to be a man. Right now he's adorable."

Maki mutters, not quite under her breath, "You just like them when they aren't able to run away."

"At least I like something. What do you do for fun- sit in your room and try to curse everything you don't like?"

"Yes. So do my cousin and her little brother."

"Your relatives must love you."

"Yeah. We're a real hoot at family reunions."

Hatori's voice breaks through Tohru's haze.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but Shinta has had a very long day already and I think that it is time for him and Tohru-san to return home."

Sweetie- I think that's your cue to step away from Hatori before we start any more exciting rumors.

Brief silence.

Unless you really want to give them something to talk about…. I've got lots of suggestions!

Tohru doesn't even bother responding as she moves out of the back hallway in a daze. She can hear Hatori, who has obviously sensed her distraction, picking up Shinta and saying good-bye to the women.

Tohru has nearly reached the entrance when she feels a… tug from the back of the restaurant. She turns towards the sushi bar, but the only person there is some gaijin with long blonde hair who is turning towards her and getting off the stool and running towards her and-

Hugging her.

Ummm... Why don't we have pretty wings now?

As Tohru slowly processes what is happening, the gaijin rests his head on her shoulder.

"Tohru… Oh gods… Tohru… I thought I'd never find you."

Reviewer Responses

Quick Note: This will probably be the last chapter that I post review responses in the chapter, because they're starting to get kind of long. I'll still answer reviews, but I'll probably post the responses on my LiveJournal and include a link so that I'm not throwing off my word count here. Does anyone have any problems with this? Would you prefer me to keep posting them within the chapter? I'm just not sure how irritated everyone is getting with the lengthy responses….

Lizzy44: I'm afraid that I'm a bit of a suspense junkie :) And honestly, these are the best places to end the chapters. Why does nobody believe that I'm not deliberately evil? Silence. Er… On second thought, don't answer that :) It was great to hear from you and I hope that you continue to enjoy the new chapter!

Luffy V'shile: Flashy light is fun. I like flashy light. And shiny. I am obviously secretly a crow. Great to hear from you again and I hope that you like the shiny too :)

PrEtTyStUpIdGiRl: Don't worry- we'll get to find out lots more about how Hatori's doing :) I'm glad that you're enjoying the story and I just want to let you know that I find your Kyoru one very interesting…. Thanks for taking the time to comment again!

inuyasha-girly-2007-Grins- You were one chapter ahead of the plot. Major cookies for guessing plot points! Although I'm afraid that the way the life bonds work, you can't just cut one off when you form another one. Unfortunately, if you cut a life bond, both people die. You also anticipated the pretty-shiny with Hatori so I'm going to assume that you're psychic or really, really smart. Either way, it was great to hear from you again and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

Kae Noel-Huggles back- I'm very glad that you enjoyed the chapter- it was good to hear from you again :) And here's the new chapter. Dõ itashimashite!

A Panda from CTY-Snort- The Dragon of the night. Love it. I was really glad that Kyou got to do something important as well- I think that it was an ironic karmic balance that his very disconnection from the Zodiac would be what would allow him to save Tohru when Yuki's privileged position could not. And I love Hatori as a true dragon- it's been one of the things that I was itching to write out, because there has to be some reason he turns into a baby dragon rather than an adult :) As always, a pleasure to hear from you and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

GirlWaterShaman: Well, I'm afraid that it might be a little tricky to bring Uo and Hana back now that their memories are erased, but we'll see what happens :) I'm glad that you're enjoying the story anyways and I appreciate you taking the time to comment again.

Yume: The really ironic thing with Butterfly was that I didn't even consciously recognize that it was an original character until someone else commented on it in about Chapter 8 or Chapter 9. Yeah. I'm a little slow sometimes :) That being said, I'm really glad that you like Butterfly's development and the style of the story- I was afraid that both Butterfly and the style would be more likely to turn people off than interest them and I'm glad that they appeal to you. Thank you for taking the time to review and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter.

Cody Thomas: Cat was pretty cool last chapter- I really like the Cat spirit character and I was happy to give him something important to do :) And poor Hatori really needed some love after those memories- I think the transition to Big Dragon was good for him :) I'm sorry that you didn't win the bid but I'm still insanely jealous that you get to buy the hat anyways… Great to hear from you again!

Trai Maxwell: Aww… I'm very touched and grateful that the chapter moved you- it was a difficult chapter for me, because I really like Hatori and Tohru and the boys and it was a pretty emotionally intense thing to write. Well- looks like you made a pretty good guess as to what the other Jyuunishi were going to have to go through. We'll have to see about the rest of them though :) Always lovely to hear from you and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter :)

bookworm0492: Lucky Shinta got to sleep through the whole thing :) Tohru fed him and put him to bed just before it started and he missed out on all the excitement. As for Tohru being a god… well, you'll see :) Good to hear from you again and best of luck with the rocket launcher!

truffletruffle01: Hopefully this chapter answers part of your question. As to whether or not they will ultimately go back… we'll see :) Great to hear from you again- I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

hannah5o: I'm very honored that you think that the story is heartfelt- that is probably the nicest thing that anyone could say about it and I hope that I continue to live up to your standards :) And it is really hard to keep those sarcastic comments to yourself. Sometimes I end up biting into my lip to try and keep myself from saying things :0 I'm glad that you decided to comment again and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter.

fruitbasketrocks: I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter- it was good to hear from you again and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter as well- it even has some smut ;)

Panthera: Yeah- a lot of people were afraid that she was going to die and I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter. Great to hear from you again!

geminillama: Yes. I deliberately flash Shigure for a few seconds so that people will forgive me for ending the chapter :) Always a pleasure to hear from you- I hope that you enjoy the new chapter as well.

for sale: I kind of like the sound of "rocking the Fruits Basket world". –Pictures Jyuunishi dirty dancing. Shakes head to scrub brain of disturbing images.- On second thought… Seriously though, I'm really happy that you caught the reference back to old Tohru- I was really trying to show how she's evolved, but at the same time is still fundamentally Tohru. You have no idea how relieved I am that it came across that way rather than "Oh my god! Tohru's horribly out of character!" And Hatori is probably my favorite FB character, if that wasn't already painfully obvious :) As for Momiji and Shigure… we'll see :) Thanks, for once again leaving such a detailed, thoughtful review. I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

DarkLuna: Sorry. Unfortunately I can't make the story one big chapter because it would be too large to upload to FFNet :) I wanted to hug Hatori too- all of them seem to have had a bit of a rough go… I'm very glad that you're enjoying the story- it was great to hear from you again and I hope that you continue to enjoy the plot.

kupo: Mixed emotions, eh? –Rolls up sleeves and digs in.- There's definitely something up with Akito- kudos to you for catching that. Cat rocks the Casbah. Tohru is special but you don't get to find out how. Yet. And I love the pretty, shiny dragon. Always a pleasure to hear from you and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

Diane Long: Before I actually respond to anything I just wanted to let you know that "Not I" is one of my all-time favorite moving-forward-from-unrequitedness stories. I'm delighted that you're enjoying the story and my take on the characters' personalities. As for Butterfly, that's a very interesting guess, but I'm afraid that you're going to have to wait to find out :) Thanks you for taking the time to review- I hope that you enjoy the new chapters!

Anonymous: It always makes me happy when people stay up really late to try and read "Butterfly"- it makes them so much easier to brainwa- Um… never mind. Seriously though, I'm really glad that you're finding the story interesting and, if it makes you feel better, I nearly cried when I was writing some of Hatori's scenes :)

Taran-Wanderer: I'm very glad that you're enjoying the direction the story's going. Great to hear from you again and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

gadez: I'm sorry that you felt that the chapter was rushed- hopefully the new chapter will make up for it :) Great to hear from you again!

anah midale: No problem. Birthdays are important :) And very good call on the plot development- major cookies for you! Good to hear from you again and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

GhostHelwig: Wow. Your review was so well thought out that I'm going to try and answer your points in the detail that they deserve. "Butterfly" is my take on many of the unanswered/not explained yet/driving me nuts aspects of the Fruits Basket manga. As such, I think I've gone quite a bit darker than the manga itself has or will and I'm very glad that you like that aspect of the story. Strangely, I really am trying to observe canon as best as I can- just putting a different spin on it, so to speak :) That being said, one of my biggest issues with the story is trying to keep everyone in character while putting them in situations that I know that they wouldn't get into in the manga. I am very glad that you think that the characters are still recognizable and that their growth is logical because this is something I agonize over every single chapter, as my poor betas can confirm. So when I write them I really try to show the shades of grey in all of the characters, Hatori being one of my particular favorites for this because he is such a complex and often misrepresented character. I think the part of your review that made me happiest was the fact that you were willing to give this story a chance despite normally sticking to slash and that the relationship between Tohru and the boys intrigued you anyways :) I really want to write something that will appeal to people who wouldn't normally touch this rather odd pairing, just because it works for this particular story and the way these particular characters develop. I thoroughly enjoyed your review and I hope that you continue to enjoy the story- even after this chapter.

AmuberuMukku: The first part of the chapter was kind of scary. I don't blame you :) And I often read out loud to myself- one of the major advantages of living alone :) Yeah- I did a slightly different take on Hatori's memory of Kana- I do like canon, that I do :) Well, we'll see where the plot direction is going but that's a ve-errry interesting guess :) And this chapter was a combination of hopefulness and sadness so it's perfectly okay to say 'Yay!' :) I really want to see your sketch- is it possible for you to make a Yahoo mail account? They don't have any problems with attachments. –Anaphalis says selfishly- As always, lovely to hear from you and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter.

MaNgA-bOy-LoVeR: That was my thought too- I would be beyond pain to be in a situation where I had to watch my loved one die and be unable to do anything to stop it. I'm very glad that you're enjoying the story- it was great to hear from you again!

Akai: I'm very fond of Hatori too and I enjoyed having a chance to explore his mind a little bit. It would have been really bad if Kyou hadn't been able to save Tohru and Butterfly, wouldn't it? I'm very glad that you're enjoying the story and that you took the time to review again!

Lady Mokodane: Never fear! This story will get finished! My betas will eat my alive if I don't churn out chapters on a regular basis :) I'm delighted that you're enjoying the story and it's always a pleasure to hear from you :)

cher-amore: The "spring" line was actually my favorite line of the whole chapter, because I think that that one word sums up Hatori's hopes and dreams so completely. I'm glad that you enjoyed it and I hope that you continue to enjoy the new chapter.

Cor-chan: Great to hear from you again, dear! Don't worry about the reviewing- I'm just delighted that you're still enjoying the story and I hope that the new chapter is equally er.. "joygasmic" :)

LivingInAHellOfMyOwnCreation: Oh don't worry. Akito hasn't disappeared into a void :) There's plenty more still to come and I'm very happy that you're enjoying the story. Thanks for reviewing!

kishe: I'm afraid that you're going to have to wait to see what happens with Akito. I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter and it was great to hear from you again!

sexylucifer: I'm glad that you're enjoying the story and find it touching- I've very much enjoyed writing this storyline. Thank-you for taking the time to review!

KhaosFire-Katana: Oh dear. I hope that that's a good dazed :) Would you like a glass of water, some chocolate, a Butterfly in your head? Great to hear from you :)

xoxKiSS: I'm glad that you like the story and the Hatori plot line :) It was great to hear form you again- I hope that you enjoy the new chapter as well!

Fire Phoenix: It was hard to write about Hatori erasing the girls' memories, but really, I couldn't see it going any other way. Tohru knew when she left some of what was probably going to happen and this sort of made her start to face up to it unfortunately. I love the part where Tohru freed Hatori as well. As for Tohru and the Jade God and the others who ran away…well, you'll see :) It's always wonderful to hear from you- I really enjoy your reviews and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter as well :)

Mewling: Thanks so much for the constructive criticism! It was greatly appreciated :) Let's see… You're absolutely right- she would taste iron. I guess I'm kind of weird because I associate the taste of blood with the taste of copper pennies… As for the pain- I think I've screwed up somewhere, because I've been trying to imply with the torture that she's been getting over the years, her pain resistance has been built up. I'm going to have to try to do that better somehow…. Thanks so much for the review and I hope that the "overcritical old man" likes the new chapter :)

Nekomon: Well I won't tell anyone you were here if you don't ;) I'm so glad that you're succumbing to Butterfly's evil plot to deprive people of sleep by reading this instead of sleeping or doing homework. Er… maybe I shouldn't have said that. I'm delighted that you're enjoying the story- thank-you for taking the time to review.

mica maxwell: I'm glad that you think that the story is clever and that the characters are retaining their personalities. These are the things I agonize over :) Thank-you for reviewing and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter :)

baka-onna2003: Hatori's now something, but it's not quite clear what yet :) Don't worry- things will resolve at some point. It's great to hear from you again- I hope that you enjoy the new chapter as well.

MissTeya: Thanks so much- I'm very happy that you're continuing to enjoy the story and I really appreciate you taking the time to review again:)

Silverpuppy99: Thank-you! I hope that you continue to enjoy the story.

Little Auras: It's nice to hear from an old-timer ('Why I remember "Butterfly Effect" from before she started sleeping with the boys.' 'Ha! I remember 'Butterfly Effect' from when Butterfly didn't have a name.') Sadly, Butterfly actually didn't have a name for a surprising number of chapters come to think of it :) Anyways, no worries about the reviewing- I'm honestly just happy that you're enjoying the story. As for the t-shirts- my artistic talents are far too er.. limited for me to design something, but I have heard a few people say that they were going to try something. Do let me know if you come up with something! It was fantastic to hear from you and I hope that you continue to enjoy the story.

ErieDragon: I'm very glad that the story warmed your heart- that makes me smile. I hope that you continue to enjoy the story and I very much appreciate you taking the time to review :)

Alowl: Oo! I like that! "Blighted hopes and tentative dreams"! That sounds far cooler than most of what I write :) I agree that Hatori is definitely in line for some happiness as for the next steps in Butterfly's quest for world domination… well, you'll see :) Thanks so much for reviewing- I hope that you enjoy the new chapter :)

Updated 02-26-05